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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28437330">to the open arms (of the sea)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/OceanMyth/pseuds/OceanMyth'>OceanMyth</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Ocean's ATLA Drabbles, Oneshots, and Ficlets [24]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Drabble, F/M, Fluff, it's the unchained melody pottery scene from ghost, soft &amp; domestic, with tokka</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 20:48:28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>368</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28437330</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/OceanMyth/pseuds/OceanMyth</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sokka wakes up alone, but doesn't remain that way for long.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Toph Beifong/Sokka</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Ocean's ATLA Drabbles, Oneshots, and Ficlets [24]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2113209</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>37</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>to the open arms (of the sea)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/miracleshappen/gifts">miracleshappen</a>.</li>



    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Sokka wakes up to an empty bed and an open door. The sheets have been awkwardly half-tucked around him, as though to hide the vacancy next to him. When he touches the mattress it’s still warm. He swings his legs out of the bed— he stubs his toe, since he always underestimates how close it is to the ground— and follows after Toph.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> When he opens the doorway into the hall, he notices there's more light coming from downstairs than there should be—Sokka doesn't chuckle to himself, but he comes close enough that he puts a hand over his mouth in case any sound escaped. He knows where Toph is now, and he can't stop the wide smile that follows his almost-laugh, but that's fine. It's not going to wake up Lin.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He makes his way down the stairs. As slow and careful as he can be, avoiding putting his hand on the railing because it always creaks more loudly than he expects. It’s old, and wood, and Toph keeps threatening to tear it out and replace it with a metal one that won’t creak as much. Sokka wonders what day she’ll finally get around to it, and peeks into the kitchen.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> Toph is sitting with the low light of a candle next to her. She's spinning a lump of clay in front of her, and it slowly morphs into different shapes, before falling back into a round lump. Like what she used to do with her star-metal bracelet, before she'd let the world decide that her fidgeting wasn't 'official' enough for the Chief of Police. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She seems to be concentrating more on vase and bowl shapes than abstract sculptures with the clay, and Sokka remembers that a new earthbending potter had moved into the vacant building down the street from the station.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He comes over behind her. There’s room on the seat for two, especially if he wraps his arms around her for stability. She doesn’t look at him, not even when he drops his chin on her shoulder, but one of her hands drops from the clay to cover his.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sokka leans forward and watches the clay rise and fall, in time with Toph’s heartbeat.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm sorry I didn't post this earlier-- I thought it was going to be longer, but then... I forgot to outline it, and now I have no idea where I was taking the ficlet.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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